One in five white people carries a gene which could raise their risk of high blood pressure, research suggests

The STK39 gene variant was found after scanning the entire genetic code of hundreds of people in the US and Europe. Those with the variant had raised blood pressure compared with those carrying other versions. The US research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is important because, over time, it can increase the chances of heart problems, strokes and kidney failure. It is thought that one in four people living in western countries has high blood pressure, often undiagnosed. Scientists looking for genetic vulnerabilities to the condition have explored dozens of possible genes, but STK39 has emerged as a front runner following the University of Maryland School of Medicine study. The researchers concentrated their efforts on 542 members of the Amish community in Pennsylvania, looking at their entire genetic make-up while testing their blood pressure. When this linked variants of the STK39 gene to high blood pressure, it made sense - the gene produces a protein which controls how the kidneys process salt - a key factor in changing blood pressure. The result was reproduced when other groups Caucasian volunteers were tested, and the researchers estimated that 20% from this ethnic group carried it.